Key retainer



Jan. 18, 1944. EG L 2,339,297

KEY RETAINER Filed Oct. 25, 1941 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 18, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KEY RETAINER Samuel Segal, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application October 25, 1941, Serial No. 416,574

7 Claims.

The invention is a foldable key retainer and the object thereof is to utilize disconnectable complementary wrist fastener means with a buckle swingably sustaining a key adapted to be retained selectively concealed within the buckle and adapted to be exposed or conven iently swunk out of the buckle as desired. Other important objects and advantages will appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the key retainer according to my invention, illustrating the retainer buckled.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary inside perspective view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fi 3. y

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the key retainer utilized as a handle for actuating the key thereof, and

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the swingable key, the key guard, the swingable strap lock, and the swingable hasp.

According to the invention, the key retainer broadly designated R is in the form of a strap comprising swingable strap members and a buckle generally denoted B for conveniently sustaining and adequately concealing an emergency key.

Specifically the key retainer R. comprises two strap members l and H swiveled or looped on fulcrum pins 82 for sustaining the wrist watch l3.

The strap member l I comprises spaced sockets or loops l4 for threadably and rotatably receiving shoulders I of the fulcrum cross arm it of the swingable key K. I Y

The ends I! of the pintle orfulcrum arm l6 project through sockets l4 and beyond the sides of strap member H and extend into openings or bearings 18 of the spaced sides I9 of the sheet metal U shaped guard 20 including cross arm 2| having the offset lip 22.

By reason of the resiliency of the sides IS the latter may be snapped onto fulcrum ends I! to closely straddle the sides 23 of the shoulders I5 of the key K.

Also rotatably mounted on the fulcrum ends I! of the rotatable .pintle I8 is the U shaped sheet metal bar or keeper 24 which has its perforated sides 25 snapped over ends I] to closely but rotatably straddle sides I9 of the loop or guard 20, the bridge 26 of bar 24 being adequately spaced from sockets M to provide a strap receiving gap or channel 21 (Fig. 4).

Further characterizing a part of the buckle is the utside U shaped hasp or loop 28 having its perforated arms 29 rotatably mounted on the fulcrum ends I! of the pintle toclosely straddle sides 25 of the U shaped bar 24 and closely straddle sides IQ of guard 20, the lip 22 of which normally rests on the bridge 30.

Where the watch is fastened about the wrist by the strap members l0 and II, the swingable guard 20 is within the outside hasp 28 (Fig. 2) and the shank of the key lies against the stop bridge or rest 2!. Hence the key cannot bear against the flesh of the wrist. The key is also prevented from rotation in that lip 22 is projected through one of the perforations 3! in the outside strap member IE1 (Figs. 2 and 4). At this time strap member l0 is projecting through gap 2? between the U shaped bar 24 and sockets i4, being confined closely by these elements while its end 32 projects beyond the bar 24 (Figs. 1 and 4).

With the rotatable key confined between the inside swingable guard and outside swingable hasp and retained by the locked strap member it), the key is out of the way and concealed from view although readily accessible for ordinary or emergency purposes.

To render the key accessible, the operator merely withdraws the strap member ID from the locking U shaped bar 24 and disengages lip 22 from one of the perforations 3|. Thereafter the strap member I9 is withdrawn from the hasp 28, Subsequently the key is grasped and rotated about one hundred and eighty degrees relative to the guard and hasp which action idly rotates the U shaped bar 24. The key is now desirably exposed (Fig. 5) and may be conveniently inserted in a key receiving solt of a cylinder look (not shown) and thereafter rotated by the aid of the hasp which characterizes a handle to facilitate such rotation. v

Pursuant to the use of the key, it is swung back onto the guard, the retainer is again mounted about the wrist of the user, the perforated strap member is interposed between the guard and the hasp until one of the perforations 3| desirably receives lip 22, and thereafter the end 32 is passed through gapZl to be locked by the swingable U shaped bar 24 but since lip 22 is interlocked with one of the perforations 3| the transversely arranged portion or bridge 30 of the hasp alsoprevents removal of the strap member ID outof the hasp.

It is apparent therefore that with the present arrangement a key retainer in the form of a wrist watch strap and buckle is provided for conveniently and desirably sustaining a key to be instantly accessible or conveniently concealed as desired.

Also since the U shaped guard 20, the locking bar 24, and hasp 23 are of resilient metal, the sides I9, 25 and 29 thereof respectively may be desirably spread to be readily threaded on the fulcrum ends I! and on the release of their resiliency are retained on such ends. Therefore, if desired the guard [9, the locking bar 24, and the hasp 28 may be conveniently removed from the ends I! to permit the removal of the pintle I5 from the sockets M in the instance where it is desired to substitute a new key for the previously held key.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof inherent therein.

I claim: V

l. A key retainer for carrying wrist strap means and for supporting a key having a transversely arranged arm including fulcrum means, said strap means comprising a strap member having means for rotatably sustaining said arm, a guard swingably mounted on said fulcrum means and including a transversely arranged bridge to limit displacement of said key into said guard, a swingable keeper mounted on said fulcrum means, and a hasp rotatably mounted on said fulcrum means and straddling said guard and having a transversely arranged portion, said bridge having a lip projectingtowards said transversely arranged portion to disengageably overlie the latter, said strap means having a strap member embodying'perforations selectively receiving said lip and adapted to pass under said transversely arranged portion and into and through said hasp to closely overlie said key to urge said key towards said bridge, said last mentioned strap member adapted to be removably retained by said swingable keeper for retention. thereof to closely overlie said key to conceal the latter, said transversely arranged portion cooperating with said second mentioned strap member to prevent complete removal of the latter through and outside of said hasp when said lip receives one of said perforations.

2. A key retainer for carrying wrist strap means and for supporting a'key including at one end an arm having terminal fulcrum means, said strap means comprising a strap member having means for rotatably sustaining said arm, a guard having sides adapted to movably straddle said key and swingably mounted on said fulcrum means and including a bridge to limit movement of said key towards said guard, a keeper straddling said sides and mounted on said fulcrum means, a hasp rotatably mounted on said fulcrum means and swingably. straddling said keeper and including transversely arranged means, said bridge having a lip disengageably overlying said transversely arranged means, said strap means comprising a strap member having perforations selectively interlocking with said lip and adapted to pass under said transversely arranged means and into and through said hasp to closely overlie the body ofsaid key to conceal the latter and be removably retained by said keeper, and said transversely arranged means on said hasp cooperating to prevent complete removal of said second mentioned strap member from said hasp when said lip is interlocked with one of said perforations.

3. A key retainer for carrying wrist strap means and for supporting a key having a transversely arranged arm including fulcrum means, said wrist strap means comprising a strap member having means for rotatably sustaining said arm, a U shaped guard swingably mounted on said fulcrum means and including a stop to limit displacement of said uard towards said key, a U shaped keeper mounted on said fulcrum means, a U shaped hasp rotatably mounted on said fulcrum means and straddling said guard and including transversely arranged means, said stop having a lip disengageably overlying said transversely arranged means, a strap member having perforations selectively interlocking said lip and adapted to pass under said transversely arranged means and into and through said hasp to overlie said key to conceal the latter and be removably retained by said keeper to hold said key against said stop, and said transversely arranged means cooperating to prevent complete removal of said second mentioned strap member from said hasp when said lip is interlocked with one of said perforations.

4. A foldable key retainer for carrying wrist strap means and supporting a key having a transversely arranged arm including fulcrum means, said strap means comprising a strap member having means for rotatably sustaining said arm, a guard having spaced sides swingably mounted on said fulcrum means and including a stop for said key interconnecting said sides, a keeper outside of said guard and mounted on said fulcrum means, a hasp outside of said guard and having arms straddling said sides and rotatably mounted on said fulcrum means and including a bridge portion interconnecting said arms, a lip projecting from said stop and disengageably overlying said bridge portion, said strap means comprising a strap member having perforations selectively interlocking said lip and adapted to pass under said bridge portion and through said hasp to overlie said key to conceal the latter and be removably retained by said keeper and to retain said key against said stop, and said bridge portion cooperating to prevent complete removal of said second mentioned strap member out of said hasp when said lip is interlocked in one of said perforations.

5. A key, retainer for carrying wrist strap means and for supporting a key including at one end a transversely arranged arm having terminal fulcrum means, said wrist strap means comprising a strap member having means for rotatably sustaining said arm, a guard having sides movably straddling said strap and swingably mounted on said fulcrum means and including a transversely arranged stop interconnecting said sides, a swingable keeper movably straddling said guard and mounted on said fulcrum means, a hasp having resilient arms rotatably mounted on said fulcrum means and swingably straddling said keeper and including a transversely arranged bridge portion intereonnecting said arms, a lip extending from said stop and disengageably overlying said bridge portion, said wrist strap means comprising a strap member having perforations selectively interlocking with said lip and adapted to pass under said bridge portion and through said'keeper to closely overlie the body of said key to conceal the latter and be removably retained by said swingable keeper,

and said bridge portion cooperating to prevent complete removal of said second mentioned strap member from said hasp when said lip is interlocked with one of said perforations, and said key upon removal of said last mentioned strap member from said keeper and from said hasp adapted to be rotated out of said hasp whereby said guard and hasp constitute handle means to facilitate rotation of said key about the longitudinal axis thereof.

6. A key retainer for carrying wrist strap means and for supporting a key including at one end a transversely arranged arm having terminal fulcrum means, said wrist strap means comprising a flexible strap member having socket means for rotatably sustaining said arm, a guard having spaced sides removably straddling said strap member and swingably and disconnectably mounted on said fulcrum means and including a transversely arranged stop interconnecting said sides, a swingable substantially U-shaped keeper rotatably and removably straddling said sides and disconnectably and resiliently mounted on said fulcrum means, a substantially U-shaped hasp having resilient arms rotatably mounted on said fulcrum means and swingably and removably straddling said keeper, 2, bridge disposed transversly of said hasp and interconnecting said arms, a lip extending from said stop and disengageably overlying said bridge, said wrist strap means comprising a flexible strap member having perforations selectively and removably interlocking with said lip and adapted to pass under said bridge and through said hasp to closely overlie the body of said key to conceal the latter and be removably sustained by said swingable keeper, said stop cooperating to limit displacement of said key towards said hasp, and said bridge cooperating topreclude complete removal of said second mentioned strap member from said hasp when said lip is interlocked in one of said perforations.

7. A key retainer for carrying flexible wrist strap means and for supporting a key having a transversely arranged arm including fulcrum means, said strap means comprising a strap member having means for rotatably sustaining said arm, a guard removably and swingably mounted on said fulcrum means and including a transversely arranged bridge characterizing a stop for said key, a keeper mounted on said fulcrum means, a hasp rotatably mounted on said fulcrum means and straddling said guard and including a transversely arranged portion, said bridge having a lip disengageably overlying said transversely arranged portion, and said strap means also embodying a strap member having perforations selectively receiving said lip and adapted to pass under said transversely arranged portion and into and through said hasp to closely overlie said key to conceal the latter and be removably retained by said keeper and cooperating with said transversely arranged portion to prevent complete removal of said last mentioned strap member out of said hasp when receiving said lip.

SAMUEL SEGAL. 

